Maine lawmakers submit 1,780 bills before deadline

The Maine Senate President and House Speaker released a statement Sunday saying the number submitted before Friday's deadline is down from the first session of the previous Legislature two years ago, when 1,899 proposed laws were submitted before the deadline. This year's number will go down once duplicate bills are identified.

In the past 20 years, the number of bills submitted before the deadline has ranged from under 1,700 in 2009 to more than 2,600 in 1999.

A full list of this year's bill titles listed by subject matter is expected to be released on Jan. 28.

In the event of emergencies or other developing issues, additional bills can be introduced after the deadline with approval of legislative leaders.